


Chasing Freedom

by epsi10n



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsi10n/pseuds/epsi10n
Summary: Anonymity. Deception. Those were the tools that kept him free from the grasp of his pursuers. Those were the tools that kept him alive.Graduating from Imperial training camp as a newly minted Intelligence operative, Aro is on his own in the great wide galaxy. His new life involves meeting interesting people, making plenty more enemies, and never staying in one place long enough for anyone to find him. All in all, it wasn't bad.But soon he would be up against the greatest challenge he's ever faced: an eons-spanning conspiracy that he'd stumbled upon, and a shadow from his past that just wouldn't stay buried.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Prelude

We weren’t allowed to talk. Or sit. Or slouch. 

Occasionally we’d be called upon to perform tasks - announce visitors, serve drinks, dance, among other things. But our primary duty was to stand and look pretty.

We’d always assumed we were brothers. We both had gray hair, green eyes, no parents, and no names. We even looked similar, being about the same height and size. Maybe that was why they picked us to buy.

Our master was a run-of-the-mill Sith of some modest power. Lord something or the other - can’t remember his name. He kept a manor on Tatooine and he hated it there. We hated it even more for his presence. I learned very quickly to discreetly make myself invisible to his attention whenever he was around. To be chosen as evening entertainment usually meant lightning, choking, and nothing good. My poor brother - he tried to do the same thing I did, but he’d always been the more eye catching of the two of us. His silver hair and bright eyes worked to his disadvantage.

I would always feel guilty about making him suffer our master alone, but not nearly enough to share the burden.

Then one day my brother broke the rules and spoke to me.

“One day,” he said, “we’re going to escape.”

We daydreamed about it for months, and thought over everything: where we could live, what jobs we could get to make some fast credits, what names we should call ourselves - because it would hardly be right to keep calling each other ‘slave’ once we were free, yeah? We named ourselves Aro and Aidon, after two Jedi whose names we’d probably misheard from the Imperial newscast, and rehearsed what we would say if they ever came to rescue us; or even if they came to fight our master, which would have been much more likely. But they never came, so we decided to break ourselves out instead.

It was my brother Aidon who came up with the plan. He’d found a secret escape tunnel that led from our master’s inner chambers to his private spaceport. Such a tunnel would naturally be patrolled by surveillance droids, but Aidon was confident that the devices he cobbled together could hoodwink them. And he was right. One night, after getting our master drunk blind, we took out all the droids in the tunnel one way or another, our small bodies fuelled and pushed to the limit by the thought of freedom. 

We managed to make it all the way to the spaceport, where several freight shuttles were luckily waiting just barely out of sight. 

“There might not be hiding spots big enough for both of us,” I said, “so we should go our separate ways from here. Stay alive and don’t worry about me, alright? We can look for each other later when we’re out and safe.”

But really I was afraid that he would be noticed and I along with him. For all that he was clever in his own right, he was younger and weaker and just too conspicuous. 

It was better for one of us to make it out than for both of us to rot there.

I went first and didn’t look back. I ducked behind crates, crept around the guards, and stowed myself away in one of the shuttles. The shuttle took off and eventually landed in a spaceport that I later discovered was Nar Shaddaa. I got myself inducted into a swoop gang and then a pirate’s crew, kicked about the galaxy with them for a few years, and fled when they got rounded up by the Imperial army. Then I joined Imperial Intelligence. 

I never did find out what happened to the brother I left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story follows the Agent and Inquisitor class storylines from the Black Talon/Dromund Kaas onward, with some changes and additions.
> 
> No ships planned except a X-70B Phantom prototype and maybe a Fury class interceptor.
> 
> This chapter is a prologue, not a one-shot.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


	2. A Game of Lies

“... so that’s my story. When I think about it, I doubt we were actually brothers at all. They probably just picked two gray-haired orphan kids from the slave pens so that we could be a matching set.”

Across the cantina table, Kaliyo was listening with her chin in her palm. “That’s… really sad, Agent. I didn’t know that about you.”

Aro carefully looked up. For some reason, sad face #3 seemed to work especially well for convincing people that he was being genuine. He’d have to remember this for missions. “Well, you told me this whole sob story about wandering the galaxy and then signing up with us in exchange for help tracking down a bosom sister who fought by your side through thick and thin. I figured I ought to up my game.”

“Wha-” The Rattataki mercenary looked visibly surprised for once, then pouted like a nexu whose milk got stolen. “Phft, it’s almost as if you don’t believe me.”

“It’s almost as if you actually give a kriff if I do,” retorted Aro, having gotten to know the woman well enough for such a level of familiarity. He and Kaliyo had met on Hutta, a planet that could best be likened to a gaudy, golden toilet bowl. He had been posing as a notorious mercenary looking for work and her as a bodyguard to the Hutt whose favours he needed. This had led to a series of events that somehow resulted in Kaliyo joining Imperial Intelligence under his supervision, ostensibly for the aforementioned personal reasons. 

During this time, he’d learn a thing or two about Kaliyo. Firstly, she would leave you in a heartbeat if she had no more to gain from you. Secondly, she would never tell the truth when she could lie. This was a woman who had betrayed five out of seven partners and then had somehow managed to convince Nemro that her loyalty could be won in an honour duel. 

Aro would be more surprised if she _wasn’t_ lying about her motivations. Someone who despised authority as much as her, joining the Empire to track down a loved one? Plausible, but very unoriginal. “Your turn again,” he prompted, “Want to tell me more about this sister who was unfortunate enough to raid an exchange ship with you by accident?”

Kaliyo chuckled. “Maybe another time. Want to tell me what Intelligence agents get up to when their shuttle’s stuck with the repair bots?”

Aro stretched, kicking his feet forward, “What else? We hang around the spaceport, make some financial contribution to the Imperial liquor industry, and find a beauty to talk to.”

In this particular case, they’d been hanging about the fleet cantina for hours. The shuttle scheduled to take them to the Empire’s capital was experiencing a malfunction and could not leave port. Aro wasn’t overly bummed about it. He was just glad they caught the problem _before_ he floated off into space. 

In the meantime, he and Kaliyo were entertaining each other. 

“I must say,” commented his nominal subordinate, “for a bunch of overstarched toy soldiers with no personality, you Imperial folks have a fine spaceport. If anything your cantina’s certainly well stocked.”

“We have something from every planet the Empire’s conquered or tried to start a war on,” nodded Aro, toasting her with his Tatooine Sunrise. In a few drink’s time there would be a military transport leaving for Dromund Kaas. Aro had gone ahead and added himself and Kaliyo to the passenger list. The transport’s hyperdrive would more than make up for the four-hour delay due to the unavailability of the shuttle. With luck they might even arrive early, and Aro would be able to promptly report to headquarters - more specifically, to his bed in the headquarters. He deserved a nice, long rest. 

The Hutta mission had been nothing he hadn’t done before, just more odious and more exhausting. The race against time to kill a man who he was beginning to call friend was unfortunate. The drive across half of Jiguuna to frame a Hutt for his murder was too tedious to be entertaining. The final mad dash to the spaceport to kill the mercenary whose identity he’d stolen was something he really could’ve done without, but at least it was brief.

And now something was causing a ruckus some distance away. 

Ah. A Sith was passing through the spaceport’s main concourse with some sort of large bipedal beast that he couldn’t be bothered to leash, and people were jumping out of the way to give the both of them a very wide berth. How typical. _A Sith does what a Sith wants. May the Force help everybody else who happens to be nearby._

Kaliyo leaned over. “Judging from that story you just told me, I’m getting the sense that you’re not fond of Sith.”

“I’ve been told that the purpose of Imperial Intelligence is to clean up after Sith and wipe their arses,” shrugged Aro noncommittally. 

“Hmm. So why do you work for them if you hate them so much?”

“Because I’m a bloody masochist,” grumbled Aro to no one in particular. “Besides, ‘Everyone in the Empire serves the Sith.’ Isn’t that what the party line says?”

It wasn’t as if the job didn’t have its perks. The training was good. The steady line of credits was excellent. And there were other privileges too, like access clearance to essentially all the databases in the Empire up to and including the personal staff lists of even the highest ranked officials. Even the Dark Councillors themselves.

Well, to make use of the information in any significant way would probably cost him his head. Nevertheless, the knowledge that the opportunity was available still counted for something. 

Knocking back the last of his glass, Aro stood. “We should get going now. The Black Talon wouldn’t wait for us.” Leading the way, he melded into the crowd with practiced ease. 

Kaliyo matched his pace. “So, what can I expect for accommodations on Kaas? Because Force help me, if I have to live in a barrack I’m going to murder somebody. I’ve seen jail cells more lively.”

Aro hummed. “Have you seen the insides of a lot of prisons across the galaxy then?” 

“One or two,” shrugged Kaliyo noncommittally, “I don’t usually get caught. You?”

“Just one, when my ship got impounded at Sobrik with two dozen crates of freshly-acquired combat stims onboard. I had to pose as a guard for a whole shift before I could leave.”

“And is this where you say you parted ways with your pirate crew, huh?” 

“No,” said Aro, “sliced the security and busted them out just before I left the building - figured we were in it together, so we ought to leave together. But then they got impounded again five months later while I was having a drink planetside. _That’_ s when I went my own way.” 

“I see,” Kaliyo hummed. “You really have this story all thought out.”

“That’s because it’s all true,” insisted Aro with a straight face. “Tell me more about An’shipel and I’ll tell you more about Aidon.”

The Black Talon was waiting in its hanger. By the looks of it, the military transport was just finishing up its fuelling procedure. “I can’t quite figure you out, Agent,” said Kaliyo as they started up the boarding ramp, “sometimes you’re a right bastard, and other times you care so much about people that it’s cute.”

“Not really,” Aro chuckled, “but I suppose it keeps things interesting for you.” 

His mercenary companion burst out laughing. “Agent, if I’d known you’d be this fun to play with, I would’ve insisted that we take the shuttle!”

“I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities to be stuck in tight quarters for days in space,” said Aro, matching her tone easily. He knew what Kaliyo liked to hear. _A challenge. The best way to keep her cooperative is to appear her unfathomable equal. Make her doubt your past, your motivation, your entire history._

Well, he did not expect to have too much difficulty there. After fifteen years, he wasn’t sure if he knew himself what drove him to where he was today.

And he’d long learned to pretend he had no past. 

Really, it was easier that way.


	3. The Black Talon

At the top of the boarding ramp, Aro was greeted by a droid claiming to be his. “Good day, sir and ma’am! I am advanced protocol unit NR-02. My functions are diplomacy, translation, manslaughter, and calumniation. Please accompany me to the conference room. I have an urgent message for you from my master.”

They followed. “A message from your boss?” wondered Kaliyo. 

But the figure that appeared over the holocomm was not Keeper. Instead, it was a life-size hologram of a broad-shouldered man with the smuggest face in the galaxy. “Ah, it seems you’ve brought me just the team I need! A trained agent from Imperial Intelligence.” 

All Intelligence agents were required as a part of bootcamp to memorize the faces of all of the Empire’s top officials. As such, Aro recognized the droid’s master immediately. “Grand Moff Kilran. It’s a pleasure.”

Grand Moff Kilran was the commander of the Fifth Fleet and second to the Minister of War. By Aro’s understanding, his astonishing military record surpassed in length only by the names of battalions he sacrificed for strategic maneuvering. His crowning achievement was the pre-treaty assault on Coruscant with Darth Malgus, during which the Empire had conducted a surprise invasion of the Republic’s capital under the guise of a peace negotiation. For their incredible _initiative_ and _ingenuity_ in ordering the assault that eventually netted the Empire control over half the galaxy, Kilran and Malgus had both been heavily commended. _Says something about Kilran that the title of ‘Butcher of Coruscant’ went to him and not the Darth._

Kaliyo didn’t bother with the polite mumblings. “You got a job for us?”

Kilran smiled pleasantly. “I am sure you will find this assignment challenging, but straightforward. Six hours ago, the Republic engaged in an illegal border skirmish on the edges of Imperial territory. One enemy warship escaped. That warship, the Brentaal Star, is carrying a passenger of vital strategic importance. Yours is the only vessel placed to intercept. The warship's passenger is code-named 'the General'. We don't know his identity, but the Republic believes he possesses military secrets - our military secrets.“

Aro frowned. Higher-ups didn’t usually give out information like this for no reason. “I fail to see how we can be of assistance. Do you need the captain’s comm frequency?”

“The general must be captured or killed. However, Captain Orzik doesn't share my enthusiasm. He's disobeyed my orders to attack. Feel free to show him what the Empire does to cowards. Then commandeer his ship, find the Brentaal Star, and deal with the general."

Kaliyo crossed her arms. “You want a transport vessel to attack a warship? Thanks but no thanks. You’ll have to try harder than that to talk all of us into dying.”

“I’m sure your next-of-kin will be compensated appropriately should you fall in service to the Empire,” said Kilran blithely, “But know that if you fail, your vessel will never reach port. Kilran out.” With that, the transmission was cut. “Thank you for listening,” said the droid innocently as it put the holocommunicator away, “I am glad to have served.”

Aro wondered if the droid knew how sorely tempted he was to give the nice carbine he’d requisitioned from the Red Blade’s body a good test fire. 

Kaliyo swore, visibly contemplating the cost of ignoring the command. “Well kriff this!” muttered the mercenary as she stomped out the door toward the bridge of the ship, “the son-of-a-Hutt wants us to risk our necks for free!”

“It happens,” Aro muttered back, “I hope that sister of yours is worth it.”

He didn’t want to take this mission any more than she did, but realistically he had no choice but to comply. Kilran was the kind of admiral who’d bomb an entire city to kill one man. All things considered, he’d rather take his chances fighting the ‘pubs. Such was the perks of being a citizen of the Empire. So long as the Empire saw value in him, he was a tool to be wielded as the Empire saw fit. 

Not to mention, he had the strangest gut feeling that he was being watched and silently appraised even now. _Another of Kilran’s agents, perhaps. No, this ship was not safe in the least._

Four soldiers stopped them at the bridge access door. “Halt right there!” shouted one of the four, “This is a restricted area. You’ll have to leave immediately!”

Aro raised both hands unthreateningly. “Let us through or tell Captain Orzik to come out. I’m from Imperial Intelligence and I have vital information concerning the lives of everyone onboard. Comm him now, please.” _A little sense of urgency never hurt. In a way, it was even true..._

The bridge guards started. “Er, right. Right this way sir!”

From there they were swiftly escorted past all the remaining checkpoints to the bridge with little fuss. No one stopped them until Aro and his temporary honour guards were standing before Captain Orzik himself. Upon seeing his party, the captain hurried down from his command post. “What’s happening, Agent? Are we in danger?”

“Unfortunately,” said Aro, not bothering to lower his voice, “Grand Moff Kilran intends to destroy this ship unless we capture or kill the traitor code-named the General. Did you really think he was going to let the matter go?”

The whole bridge went silent rather comedically save for the ensign, who gave a loud, dramatic gasp.

“What? With everyone onboard!” protested Orzik, “That’s - that’s just not right!”

Aro sighed. “Be realistic, Captain. Traitors don’t die well in the Empire. You know this. Unless you plan to take down a Grand Moff, your only option is to attack the Brentaal Star.”

The beleaguered captain looked as if he’d aged ten years. “These are loyal soldiers of the Empire! You - you’re from Intelligence. Can’t Intelligence do something - help us, stop him, anything?”

 _Unfortunately, no._ Keeper was a fair boss, but to make enemies with a Grand Moff for so little “strategic value” would be plain stupid. “Help you, yes. You get two agents to lead your boarding party. We’re it.”

Orzik’s eyes bugged out incredulously. “That’s better than nothing, I guess!”

Aro sighed, trying to remember the Black Talon’s specifications. What he could recall was unpromising. _Sixty crew onboard, twenty of them soldiers. Twelve standard guns, nothing heavy. Decent armouring … for an outdated third-generation ship._ “This vessel has eight shuttles, yes? If you launch two of them at the Brentaal Star on autopilot and draw their fire with the main ship, we can land the third and apprehend the General.”

“That’s crazy! Even if you manage to land, the reception you’ll face! They’ll kill you before you make it out the hangar!”

“Quantity doesn’t necessarily translate to effectiveness,” countered Aro dispassionately, “Just get us there. We’ll figure out the rest.”

“You’re really sure about this,” gaped Orzik wonderingly, “Fine. It’s your lives on the line, I’m not ready to be branded a traitor just yet.”

 _Like we have a choice._ Aro smiled. “Well, you’ll have to wish us luck. It’s your lives on the line too if we don’t make it back. Unless any brave volunteers would like to join our boarding party?”

“Ah, well -” the Captain of the Black Talon looked about hesitantly at the cowering ensigns, then back at Aro, "I think we'll let the professionals take the lead -"

“One moment.” A disembodied voice came from an empty shadow that now rippled and distorted. 

Two figures stepped out. One of them wore a hooded robe. The other was a hulking monstrosity. “We’ll be joining you. It’ll be a pleasure.”

Aro nodded. It would seem that his suspicions were confirmed. He _was_ being watched, apparently as far back as the spaceport. 

Of all the people to take an interest in him, it had to be a Sith.

* * *

“Very well, my lord,” bowed Aro. He would honestly rather infiltrate the Republic vessel alone, but to argue with a Sith was to add an unnecessary risk factor on his life. At least this Sith was capable of avoiding detection. On the other hand, an extra lightsaber could be helpful if the situation did get out of control.

Kilran’s droid certainly did not mind the extra manpower. All it did was urge them to hurry up.

There were a few more hold-ups, one of which being a statutory holotransmission from the Jedi Grandmaster “warning” them to turn back, but soon they were running toward the hangars in short order. Aro claimed the pilot’s seat when it became clear that the Sith didn’t care either way. Once everyone strapped in, the shuttle quickly settled into an awkward silence.

“So,” said the Sith out of the blue, “Have either of you had much experience with suicide missions?”

Aro imagined that must’ve been intended as an ice-breaker. “I don’t think I’d be alive if I did, my lord.”

Kaliyo snorted. 

“I’ve had just one,” said the Sith, “I supposed I volunteered for that one too.”

“That’s…” Aro tried to think of a polite way to call a Sith crazy, but failed. “... interesting, my lord.”

“You don’t need to call me ‘lord’,” said the robed man uncharacteristically, a shadow in the back row of the shuttle, “I’m an apprentice fresh off the shuttle from Korriban. I may have to defer to you for tactics.”

“Thank you. That would certainly make conversation easier.” _And I am only one mission out of graduation myself,_ thought Aro, but he wasn’t about to announce that fact when the prestige of Imperial Intelligence was likely the only leverage he had. “What should I call you instead?”

The robed apprentice made an uncaring sound. “‘Sith’ works. Certainly I’m the only one nearby. This is Khem, by the way. He only speaks Ancient Sith, but he understands you if you talk in Basic.”

“Noted,” nodded Aro, hiding his surprise. He hadn’t realized that _Khem_ was sapient. _What species is he?_

His curiosity was piqued, but there would not be time to tease the information out. The Republic warship’s hangar bay was still open, the last of its starfighters spewing forth, but it would not remain that way for long. With a hard yank on the accelerator, Aro sent their shuttle hurtling toward the docking bay at a speed far too fast to be safe. 

They landed with an almighty screech that had certainly alerted the entire deck to their arrival, but thankfully slid to a bumpy stop without structural damage. “Let’s go.”

Their first order of business should be to inform Kilran’s bloody droid that they were still alive, in case the Grand Moff was getting trigger happy. A secluded holoterminal stood some distance away. Thanks to the commotion they’d caused in the hangar bay, the Republic soldiers were leaving the terminal completely unattended in favor of rushing to surround the invading shuttle. Aro immediately activated his stealth generator and began to weave through the rush of soldiers without looking back. He trusted that Kaliyo would follow him. He hoped the Sith apprentice was following too. He had no way to know.

Slicing into the terminal was child play. Aro opened a channel to the Black Talon bridge. “We’re in.”

“Black Talon to assault team,” came NR-02’s cheerful response, “I hope your journey has been smooth and pleasant.”

“It was certainly stimulating,” huffed Aro. “Give Kilran my thanks for the first-rate ‘amenities’.”

There was a shuffle as someone moved closer to the speaker. “Assault team, this is Lieutenant Sylas. We’ll send reinforcements if you require, but we can only spare two shuttles of marines. We have limited hands on deck so that’s all you’re getting.”

“Thank you,” It was better than nothing. “We’ll contact you -”

A chorus of ghastly screams behind him compelled him to turn and look, only to be greeted with the sight of purple lightning flashing in a growing circle of corpses. _Well, looks like we’ve found the Sith. Even when they can sneak past a fight, they won’t._

But it was not a bad idea, actually. Clearing out a hangar for reinforcements to land would make it much easier to ensure they had an escape route come time to leave. Aro turned back to the console and remotely disabled the friend-vs-foe check on the hangar bay shields. “Send reinforcement to hold the hangar bay we came through. We’ve just cleared it for you, so you’d better move fast.”

After some deliberation, he also triggered an emergency-priority alarm at the bridge calling for all personnel to defend the command center. It would take some pressure off of friendly troops, at the cost of diverting the bulk of the enemy toward their next destination. That said, the best way to hide was in a crowd.

“Will do. Good hunting.”

As they spoke, the Sith and his enormous companion were literally tearing through the Republic soldiers with such bloody efficacy that Aro couldn’t help but marvel that he was still an apprentice. He’d witnessed countless greater and lesser Sith use their dark powers on hapless victims, but never in battle. Those last two guards didn’t even manage to scream before they had their heads sliced off! When the hangar was finally silent, the Sith switched off his blood red lightsaber. “I assume the bridge is where we’re headed?”

“Yes,” said Aro firmly, relying on the confidence in his voice to dissuade the others from objecting. Potentially dangerous when speaking to a Sith, but there was no time for a lengthy debate. “I’ve got a plan. We don’t need to capture it, but we do need to convince them that the alarm was real. Make them think we’re actually strong enough to capture the ship. That’s how we flush the General out.”

The hooded face turned toward the open door. “Can’t be too hard to find. We’ll just follow the enemies there.”

“See you there,” nodded Aro gratefully. The ring of bodies strewn across the hangar was still a chilling sight to behold even now. He was starting to truly understand why Sith lords walked about like they owned the galaxy. _If this is an apprentice, imagine what a lord could do without restraints. Every one of them is a monster. Never forget._

Compared to the macabre opening act, however, the remainder of their jog to command deck and the bridge was entirely uneventful. Stealthed, they quickly fell into pace behind a group of Republic soldiers who were kind enough to open every access door along the way, and did not have to reveal themselves even once. Aro wished he could see the faces of the ‘pubs when they finally arrived to the sight of a calm, orderly bridge with no signs of battle whatsoever. 

But they had their backs to him, so he could only see them snap to attention in confusion. “Reporting to the bridge, sir!”

The important-looking officer at the transparisteel window approached them with obvious frustration. “Private! You are the fourth group to respond to the false alarm! Return to your post immediately!”

“Sir?”

“Don’t argue! Do you want to give the Imps an opportunity to board? Go! Damn it Engineering, do something about that alarm - ”

A lightning-laced lightsaber materialized behind him, stabbing straight through his chest. The Republic officer’s impressive constitution saved him from fainting on the spot, instead turning to raise his blaster shakily at the Sith who had at some point made it all the way to the middle of the room. 

Staring down the barrels of all the blasters in the room, the Sith laughed loudly. “Thank you for reassuring your crew, Commander, but we have no further use for you. Khem, feast time!” 

The once-orderly bridge immediately devolved into panic. The poor technician who had been valiantly trying to override Aro’s hacking was now screaming into the comm for more backup to the bridge. Two elite guards and the astonishingly resilient officer closed in on the Sith while a round of lightning forced everyone else to dive under the tables. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Aro ran over to a console and started pulling up maps of the various decks aboard the Republic vessel. 

“He’s good at getting attention, I’ll give him that,” Still stealthed, Kaliyo whispered into his ear, “You’re trying to herd the General toward the escape pods, right?”

“That’s where they’d take him if they’re smart,” nodded Aro. It turned out that the escape pods were on the port side of the engine deck. How convenient. “For all they know, we’ve come with enough manpower to capture the ship. I doubt his escorts would be suicidal enough to try retaking the bridge.”

“Unlike us?”

“Unlike us. They don’t have Kilran breathing down their necks.” Opening a channel to NR-02, Aro told the droid to monitor heat signatures running toward engine deck port side. Any moment now.

Kaliyo clicked her tongue. “Your Empire’s seriously messed up, you know that right?” 

Taking one last look at the map to memorize it, Aro locked every corridor to the bridge and disabled the ship’s entire comms system. Sneaking up behind the injured Republic officer, Aro made a clean slice through his jugular artery. A flash of the red double-bladed saber decapitated the two guards shortly after. “This way!” Aro pointed toward the small maintenance access that he’d deliberately left unlocked, and the party of four hurried through it. 

The Sith fired a bolt of lightning to destroy the door controls behind him, chuckling. “Like a scene straight out of a cheap holodrama. I’d say we put on a decent show.”

“You’re very self-aware,” snorted Kaliyo. 

Rather than getting offended, the Force-user seemed genuinely amused. “Heh, figured the best way to give them a scare would be to feed the stereotype. Got a medpac you can spot me?”

“Here,” Aro handed one over. The kriffing one-man murder machine didn’t _look_ injured, but black robes could hide a lot of wounds. 

A gloved hand accepted the basic first-aid injector and reached with it into the shadow just above his robe collar. “Thanks.”

“We work well together,” said Aro, peering at the hooded man curiously. “If you don’t mind me saying, you’re unusual for a Sith.” _And far more personable than most. I’m pleasantly surprised._

They boarded the freight elevator to the engine room. The Sith shrugged. “There does exist the odd Sith who’s not a megalomaniac, y’know. They try hard at the academy to weed us out.”

Kaliyo laughed. “You know what, Sith, you’re alright.”

“I suppose I should also clarify that I’m not actually affiliated with Kilran. I’m just an able-bodied passenger who overheard you in the bridge corridor and figured I should lend a hand,” the Sith apprentice said as the elevator descended then gradually slowed to a stop. “Heh, I boarded the Black Talon without an official pass. Thought it would be quicker than the shuttle.”

Aro burst out laughing despite himself. “Yeah. And look how that’s turning out.”

“If we make it off this ship alive,” said the Sith, “we ought to - watch out.”

The door opened on a twi’lek woman wielding a bright green lightsaber. “Halt where you are! I can sense your darkness. I am Yadira Ban, Padawan of the Jedi Order, and you will not pass!”

“Go, deal with our target before he escapes. I’ll keep her occupied,” muttered the Sith, running forward with Khem by his side. Not waiting to be told twice, Aro boosted his stealth generator and darted past the woman as lightsabers clashed. The escape pods should not be too far off. From the engine room, they should be down that corridor straight ahead with a turn to the right.

As it turned out, he didn’t even need to run that far. Just around the corner, the man called the General was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. 

“Who injured you?” wondered Aro curiously. Nobody had managed to lay a hand on this man yet, as far as he could tell.

“Shrapnels - from one of your bombs,” gasped the General, “Now I can’t even keep my intestines from falling out, let alone make it - to an escape pod - I used to be a general in the Imperial military - did they tell you that?”

“I hope the Republic was paying you awfully well for your trouble,” consoled Kaliyo sympathetically.

The man on the ground struggled for breath, his eyes bright with righteous indignance. “Didn’t - do it for credits! The war, if you only knew - what both sides are plotting! Thought I could even the odds - create a stalemate -”

Aro scoffed. “That’s stupid. How would a stalemate help anybody? We’ll just kill off more of each other and drag the war out. The only way to end the war for good is to end it.”

“I had to do something!” Insisted the General, “They’ll raze worlds - eradicate civilizations - if left on their current course!”

“And if the Republic and the Empire are equally matched, did you think they’d simply forget about the enemies next door? Would we?” Aro retorted. “You would’ve done more harm than good.” 

_Why am I arguing with a dead man?_

“But I suppose none of that matters for you now. Enjoy your peace.” Taking aim, Aro fired a single shot into the back of the man’s neck, delivering an instant and painless death. Not daring to put down his gun, he fumbled his belt for a plasma cutter with his other hand. “Well, I guess that’s that.”

“Oh, thank the Force!” sighed Kaliyo with mock relief, “You were taking so long, I was starting to worry you’d want to talk him around and carry him back!”

Aro ignited the plasma cutter and detached the corpse’s head from its shoulders. Picking up the head, he carefully turned it upside down to stop it from dripping more blood all along the corridor. “Not all of him, just his cybernetic implants. Let’s go. There’s a shortcut to the hangars this way.” 

In the distance, lightsabers continued to thrum to the rhythm of an undoubtedly intense battle. The sound grew faint the farther they walked. 

“You’re not going back to help our new friend?” prodded Kaliyo testingly, “Pity. He was starting to grow on me.”

“He’s Sith. He can take care of himself,” shrugged Aro. “Anyways, _our_ job’s done.”

“Oh I’m not arguing,” agreed Kaliyo, “the sooner I’m sitting in a comfortable lounge cruising through hyperspace, the happier I’ll be.”

With the Jedi preoccupied, the enemy commander dead, and most of the Republic crew distracted by the bridge alarm, their jog back to the hangar bay was laughably easy. Imperial marines greeted them as they stood guard around three mostly undamaged shuttles. “Sirs! You’ve returned!”

Aro showed them the head in his hand. “Target’s dead. His secrets have been recovered.”

He could not see past their visors, but he could read ecstatic surprise in their body language. If not for strict Imperial military protocols they might’ve jumped with joy. _Yes, finally you can leave this suicide mission that none of us wanted. Bet you thought you were all going to die here._ “That - that’s great, Sir!”

“Sir,” prompted one of the marines carefully, “how long should we wait for the … rest of your party to return?”

Aro looked toward the groups of marines, many of them already turning their bodies subconsciously toward the shuttles. “That’s the question, isn’t it. When we parted he was drawn into a fight with a Jedi. What do you think?” 

“Well, he has the Force, right?” A young-sounding soldier pipped up hopefully, “Maybe we can leave one shuttle behind, and…”

“No. We can’t let the Republic get their hands on our technology. He comes with us or not at all. You think he’d be able to make it in five minutes, Sir?”

“If he’s fighting Jedi, he might already be dead. The priority is to get this head back to the Empire, right sir?”

“Very well soldiers, we wait five minutes and then we leave,” nodded Aro concedingly, having intended to do this regardless. New Sith apprentices were never very well missed. This one wasn’t even on the passenger roster, so his master wouldn’t even know where he went missing. _No one will come to avenge him if he dies._

_But it’s good for the others to have had a say in his fate too... just in case._

“Yes, sir!” saluted the marines, and they settled down to wait. _1’. 2’. 3’._ At four minutes, Aro began signalling the marines to board the shuttles in an orderly manner. 

“It’s really quite a shame,” muttered Kaliyo again, “I didn’t even get to ask him what he meant about his _other_ suicide mission.”

“Would you like to duel a Jedi for it?” Aro muttered back. “The shuttles can’t wait indefinitely.” _4’30”. Well, Sith, it really has been good working with you._ “Ready the engines. Let’s go.”

It wasn’t that he enjoyed abandoning allies. But, it would hardly be the first time. Aro cast his mind back to another hostile hangar, another waiting shuttle, nearly ten years ago. 

Suddenly, the hangar doors were blasted open inward by a tremendous force. The few remaining marines on the boarding ramps fumbled for their weapons. 

It was the Sith and his enormous companion, barrelling into the hangar at what must’ve been vehicular speeds. “Oh don’t start,” said the Sith tiredly, skidding to a halt upon seeing the panicked friendly marines, “I’m not looking to slaughter _another_ hangar full of soldiers. One a day is enough.” 

Aro quickly waved him toward his shuttle. “Just in time! Hurry, we’re leaving!”

Khem dashed up the boarding ramp, while the Force-user hurled himself right up to the door of the shuttle in an inhumanly powerful leap. Aro jumped into the pilot chair once more. _5'00"._

In a burst of rocket fire, the three Imperial shuttles took off from the enemy warship and back to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agent: how do I politely call a Sith crazy?  
> Inquisitor: I prefer the term 'differently rational'.


End file.
